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Floodgate dedication Wednesday

Published: Monday, August 19, 2013 at 11:06 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, August 19, 2013 at 11:06 a.m.

A massive floodgate that aims to keep Houma and parts of Terrebonne Parish safe from Gulf storm surges will be dedicated Wednesday.

The $48 million Bubba Dove Floodgate in the Houma Navigation Canal near Dulac is the linchpin of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee system, Terrebonne Levee District Administrative Manager Angela Rains said.

The 9:30 a.m. dedication is expected to attract more than 150 guests, including U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu and David Vitter; U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie; state Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma, state Rep. Gordon Dove, R-Houma, and representatives from the offices of Repubican Gov. Bobby Jindal and U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge.

The floodgate is named after Dove’s son, who died in a 2009 car crash.

“Rep. Dove has been instrumental in the progress of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf project. This gate represents the undying dedication and efforts of Rep. Dove in hurricane protection and coastal restoration. We honor Rep. Dove and his family for the time he’s given to make sure our area survives for years to come,” Rains said.

The 273-foot-long, 60-foot-wide and 42-foot-high barge floodgate south of Bayou Grand Caillou will protect the communities of Terrebonne from flooding due to storm surge.

“This gate represents a massive effort by the citizens of this area to continue to fight for survival,” Rains said.

The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet in St. Bernard Parish, commonly called the Mr. Go, is completely closed off, Dove said. Storm surge that flowed up the waterway was blamed for much of the flooding that occurred in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Dove said the Houma Navigation Canal poses the same threat to Terrebonne.

The canal, used by local businesses to move platforms and other materials to and from the Gulf oilfield, was originally designed to a width of 250 feet but is now hundreds of feet wider due to erosion.

The canal runs from Houma to the Gulf of Mexico and has long caused major flooding problems for Dulac and Dularge, which lie on either side.

Building protection on the canal has been a top priority for the Levee District, said Reggie Dupre, the agency’s director.

“It’s the No. 1 potential source for destruction of 70 to 80 percent of the parish’s residential and commercial areas,” Dupre said. “This is not going to be something we take lightly.”

The floodgate is part of an effort to build a lower-cost interim hurricane protection system that can later be incorporated into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ larger Morganza project.

The barge gates are less expensive than the automated floodgates the corps is planning. Though the barge gates provide the same level of protection, they require more manpower, don’t operate as quickly and aren’t viewed to have the environmental benefits of more-complex gates.

<p>A massive floodgate that aims to keep Houma and parts of Terrebonne Parish safe from Gulf storm surges will be dedicated Wednesday.</p><p>The $48 million Bubba Dove Floodgate in the Houma Navigation Canal near Dulac is the linchpin of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee system, Terrebonne Levee District Administrative Manager Angela Rains said. </p><p>The 9:30 a.m. dedication is expected to attract more than 150 guests, including U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu and David Vitter; U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie; state Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma, state Rep. Gordon Dove, R-Houma, and representatives from the offices of Repubican Gov. Bobby Jindal and U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge.</p><p>The floodgate is named after Dove's son, who died in a 2009 car crash. </p><p>“Rep. Dove has been instrumental in the progress of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf project. This gate represents the undying dedication and efforts of Rep. Dove in hurricane protection and coastal restoration. We honor Rep. Dove and his family for the time he's given to make sure our area survives for years to come,” Rains said. </p><p>The 273-foot-long, 60-foot-wide and 42-foot-high barge floodgate south of Bayou Grand Caillou will protect the communities of Terrebonne from flooding due to storm surge. </p><p>“This gate represents a massive effort by the citizens of this area to continue to fight for survival,” Rains said. </p><p>The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet in St. Bernard Parish, commonly called the Mr. Go, is completely closed off, Dove said. Storm surge that flowed up the waterway was blamed for much of the flooding that occurred in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.</p><p>Dove said the Houma Navigation Canal poses the same threat to Terrebonne.</p><p>The canal, used by local businesses to move platforms and other materials to and from the Gulf oilfield, was originally designed to a width of 250 feet but is now hundreds of feet wider due to erosion.</p><p>The canal runs from Houma to the Gulf of Mexico and has long caused major flooding problems for Dulac and Dularge, which lie on either side.</p><p>Building protection on the canal has been a top priority for the Levee District, said Reggie Dupre, the agency's director.</p><p>“It's the No. 1 potential source for destruction of 70 to 80 percent of the parish's residential and commercial areas,” Dupre said. “This is not going to be something we take lightly.”</p><p>The floodgate is part of an effort to build a lower-cost interim hurricane protection system that can later be incorporated into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' larger Morganza project. </p><p>The barge gates are less expensive than the automated floodgates the corps is planning. Though the barge gates provide the same level of protection, they require more manpower, don't operate as quickly and aren't viewed to have the environmental benefits of more-complex gates.</p><p>Staff Writer Jacob Batte </p><p>can be reached at 448-7635 or jacob.batte@dailycomet.com.</p>